December 2023 Council Highlights

  • Every December City Council recognizes our employees and their service contribution to our organization and community. This year we recognized 54 staff members with more than 10 years of service, 24 of those recognized have more than 20 years. Combined those employees represent more than 950 years of experience. We want to thank each of them for their service -- you keep our City going each and every day for our residents, businesses, and visitors. Thank you.
  • Sumter County and the City of Sumter are giving residents an opportunity to recycle their Christmas trees at the annual "Grinding of the Greens".  Donated Christmas trees will be made into mulch. It gives residents a chance to be 'green' with their discarded trees.

Before donating your tree to the “Grinding of the Greens”, please note the following: Only live Christmas trees will be accepted - no wreaths, garland, greenery, or tree stands.  Please remove all tinsel, lights and decorations. You can donate your tree at the following locations:

  1. Drop off at any one of the nine (9) County Recycling Centers: Rainaire Boulevard, Stamey Livestock Road, Cane Savannah Road, Pinewood Road, Queen Chapel Road, Bethel Church Road, Alligator Branch Road, Pleasant Grove Road and Spencer Road;
  2. At the entrance to Dillon Park (off of N. Pike W. at 1305 Clara Louise Kellogg Dr.); or
  3. City residents may place their tree curbside. The city will collect the trees January 2nd– 11th.

On Saturday, January 13, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., at Dillon Park, FREE MULCH made from Christmas trees will be distributed to residents on a first-come, first-served basis.  If you would like to have some mulch, bring containers or bags, tools to pick it up and a way to haul it.  Even those who do not donate a tree can receive mulch.

For more information on Grinding of the Greens, call City of Sumter Public Services Office at 803-436-2558.

  • For the week of January 22-26, 2024, the City of Sumter will be hosting a free, one-time residential Curbside Junk Removal service. Residents of the City of Sumter are allowed to place large, unwanted items at their curb for collection. All items must be sorted into specific piles by Sunday, January 21st. This initiative provides an opportunity for residents to dispose of items that are too large or bulky for regular trash collection. During this initiative, residents can place items such as furniture, appliances, mattresses, and other household items at the curb. Guidelines have been provided on their website, such as placing items neatly and safely at the curb, separating different types of items, and ensuring that hazardous materials or prohibited items are not included.
    • For more details and to sign up for updates visit com. You will find the full graphic on how to separate your piles, frequently asked questions and you can sign up for email or text messages updates on the service.
  • City offices will be closed Friday, December 22, Monday, December 25 and Tuesday, December 26 in observance of the Christmas holiday. And then closed on Monday, January 1st for New Year’s Day.
  • The City of Sumterwill not collect household garbage on Christmas Day. Instead, if you have a “MONDAY” collection day, your garbage will be collected on Saturday, December 23, 2023. Monday customers are asked to have their roll cart curbside by 7:00 a.m. for collection this Saturday.
    • The City of Sumterwill collect household garbage on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2024.
  • 2023 marks the 9th anniversary of the City of Sumter Mayor’s Christmas Card Contest. Working with the Sumter School District and FTC one student per grade is awarded a prize for their submission and two students are chosen from that list to be showcased on the annual City of Sumter Christmas Card. Congratulations to the 2023 Mayor’s Christmas Card Contest Winners: 
    • Maxim Mosneaguta, 8th Grade at Alice Drive Middle School, and
    • Haleigh Johnson, 1st Grade at Manchester Elementary School

These top two winners have their artwork featured on the 2023 City of Sumter Christmas Card, which is mailed across the city and state of South Carolina and to some federal agencies across the United States. In addition to the card, both of the top two winners' drawings for our Christmas Card have been constructed in Christmas lights and will become permanent characters during our annual Fantasy of Lights display. Visitors to Swan Lake Iris Gardens can view these two displays right now, which are located just inside the main entry gate beside the Visitors Center. The two top prizes also win an Apply iPad curtesy of our sponsor FTC.

The city also chooses honorable mention entries in each grade, with each student receiving a gift card. The honorable mentions go to:

  • Margaux Ramon, Kindergarten at Kingsbury Elementary School
  • Benson Griffin, 2nd Grader at Manchester Elementary School
  • Oliviyah Johnson, 3rdGrader at Manchester Elementary School
  • Madison Mooneyham, 4th Grader at Wilder Elementary School
  • Darielle Lesane, 5thGrader at RE Davis Elementary School
  • Xzavion Dinkins, 6thGrader at Furman Middle School
  • Lilly Kiggins, 7th Grader at Hillcrest Middle School

Thank you to the more than 1500 youth who entered the 2023 contest and congratulations to all of these very talented artists!

  • Our January regularly scheduled City Council meetings will be on Tuesday, January 2nd at 1 PM and Tuesday, January 16th at 5:30 PM. If you can’t make a meeting public comments may also be submitted online anytime through our website at sumtersc.gov/council/meetings or city residents can contact the Mayor or their Council Representative any time prior to any meeting to discuss a concern or idea.